Container



July 21, 1925. 1,546,601

- w. A. MORRIS CONTAINER Filed March 19. 1923 A TTOR/VLYS,

Patentedduly 21, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,546,601 PATENT OFFICE.

WARREN A. MORRIS, 0F CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO 'IHII EI RICHARDSONCOM- PANY OF LOCKLAND, OHIO, A. CORPORATION OF OHIO.

CONTAINER;

Application filed March 19, 1923. Serial No. 625,935.

character termed as self-locking, in which I the closing flaps on one ormore. sides, have The flaps 3 and 5 arejformed in manner for closingflaps, each being pref a structure which will cause them to interlookwhen pushed together.

It is also my object to provide in a eontamer, for a handle devicewhereby the container may be used instead of a basket for a wlde varietyof purposes.

I accomplish my objects by that certain construction and arrangement ofparts to be hereinafter more specifically pointed out and claimed.

In the drawings: Q

Figure 1 is a perpective view of the containewith the interlocking flapsdisengaz Figure 2 is a like view of the container with the flaps closed.

Figure 3 is a perspective view on a smaller scale showin the other sideof the box, in which two- 0 the flaps have been developed asahandle.

Figure 4 is a plan of one kind of blank from which my box can be made.

The box will be constructed in any usual manner for making boxes.

although the material is not an essential,

since no substantial flexibility is required to accomplish the lock:

the usual In the form illustrated I show a pasted paper board box,

- erably one half of the size of the openi and each having a notch 7 cuttherein, the

notch having a curved wall 7, and a straight wall 7*. The curved wallsare on the same side of the box, in each flap 3 and 5.

The flap 4 has a tapered formation terminating in an oval shaped piece8, which is larger than the combined area of the two notches 7, chieflyin its lengthwise component. .VVhen laid down over the flaps 3 and 5,the outer wall of this oval shaped portion will about lie beyond thestraight walls 7 of the notches 7.

The flap 6 has its general shape a taper- .ing one, and terminates in aflaring triangular shaped portion 9' similar to a wide fish tail, theouter wall of which will come not quite flush with the curved walls ofthe notches 7, and the tips of which extend across a greater area thanthe notches combined.

As a result of this structure, the four flaps, may be arranged as shownin Figure 1, with the flaps 3 and 5 laid down as ifclosin the box, theflap 4 next laid down, an finally the flap 6 laid down over the threeothers. Theoperator then pushes inwardly of the box on the assembly offlaps,with the result that the flaps 3 and 5 will swing down, and awayfrom each other, expanding the opening between the notches, and theportions 8 and 9 of the flaps 4 and 6 will slip through the space leftbetween the notches. A release of the pressure will result in the flapscoming back to normal closed position with the tips of the portion 9caught under the inner walls of the notches, and the porthan theopenings left for them to passthrough.

The way to open this structure is to push the flaps back in again, andbreak up the interlocked relation.

Referring to the flaps at the other side of the box, it will be noted(Fig.3), that the flaps 20 and 255 are formed as usual in boxes of'thecharacter selected for illustration and that the tworemaining flaps 22and 23 are formed longer than necessary and havescore lines 24, definingan extra extension 25 on each fla In these extensions, I form a wideslot 2 or (if desired) aseriesof finger holes, so that when theextensions 25 are turned upwardly alongside of each other, as in thedrawings, the two slots serve as fingers holes, by which the user maycarry the box.

If desired the flaps 25 may be omitted and hand holes 30 formed in thecontainer flaps 22and23, so that the box may be carried in two hands.One advantage of this last form is that the flaps 22 and 23 can beturned in when. closing the box for shipment and will leave on unbrokensurface exposed, as formed by flaps and 21. c

It will be of interest to note tliat this Structure was designedprimarily for use of market gardeners. The box is designed to be shippedflat, with the tubular body portion laid flat and the flaps extended outin line'with the body. The gardener will erect the box b opening. outthe body, and arhold exactly a bushel,

ranging t e bottom flaps into interlocked relation as shown. He willthen place his goods into the box, and close the top thereof to serve asa protection to the goods, and as a handle.

The boxes can be made in this style to half bushel, peck, or the like,and plainly printed as such. They will be easier to handle than a bushelor half bushel basket, and in my opinion easier than any basket, and canbe made very much cheaper. In degree of protection given to the goods inthe market wagon, delivery wagon, customers hands or the like, it is ofcourse far superior to a basket. The problem of storage of baskets isalso solved, as these boxes can be laid fiat when not in use. Also theymay be made strong and durable, and will last as long as required.

The invention in its several aspects is also applicable to many 'otheruses, and it does not have to be in the form of a knockdown box. vToillustate a method of manufacture of a knock-down form of pasted paperboardbox I have shown a blank in Figure 4; In this blank, the sectionsa, b,

0, and (1 form the body portion of the completed box, and the flap e isstitched as indieated by dotted lines f, to the other end of the blank,-making thereof a tubular construction, with cross score lines g,defining four side walls.

Along one side of the box are the flaps 3, 4, 5 and 6 and at the otherare the flaps 20, 21, 22 and 23, constructed, as shown in the otherviews and as described above. Lengthwise score lines 9 define the linesof fold for the flaps with relation to the body. The score lines 24 arealso shown.

Having thus described my invention. what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Let; tors Patent, is

1. In a box formed of fibre board or the like, the combination with abody portion forming side walls thereof, of-four opposed bottom flapsarticulated to the body portion, one set of opposed pairs of said flapshaving cut-out portions in their ends, said out out portions arranged toregister with each otherto form a continuous aperture across theinterior of the-box when said two flaps "only are folded in thereover,the other set of opposed flaps having wing shaped extensions adapted tofit within the aperture when in compressed position within the box, andto look within the aperture when said first named flaps are withdrawn toright angled position with respect to the side walls of the box.

2. In a box formed of fibre board or the like, the combination with abody portion forming side walls thereof, of four opposed bottom flapsarticulated to the body portion, one set of opposed pairs of said fiapshaving cut-out portions in their ends, said out out portions arranged toregister with each other to form a continuous aperture across theinterior of the box when said two flaps only are folded in thereover,the other set of opposed flaps having wing shaped extensions adapted tofit within the aperture when in compressed position within the box, andto look within the aperature when said first named flaps are withdrawnto right angled position with respect to the side walls of the box, andmeans for forming a handle of the flaps at the upper end of said boxwhereby said box may be used as a substitute for a mar ket basket or thelike. WARREN A'. MORRIS.

